The movie Rhapsody in Blue, a biography of George Gershwin, was released only eight years after his death from a brain tumor at the age of 38. It's a good subject: Gershwin wrote some of the best popular songs ever produced in this country, but he also had ambitions to be a serious classical composer and wrote symphonic music, concertos and an opera — all of which are still performed.

He's played by Robert Alda, the matinee-idol father of M*A*S*H's Alan Alda, who went on to star in the original Broadway production of Guys and Dolls. Hecaptures both the well-documented charm and the driven quality of the brilliant young composer.

Other sympathetic performances include avuncular Charles Coburn as Max Dreyfus, Gershwin's supportive music publisher, and theater legend Morris Carnovsky as Gershwin's father. Carnovsky's Hollywood career would soon come to an end when he was blacklisted, but he remained a respected stage actor.

Injecting an uncanny reality into the film are a number of figures from Gershwin's circle who play themselves. Gershwin's real-life friend, pianist and caustic comedian Oscar Levant, gives the film its biggest jolt of satiric energy. Levant was famous for playing Gershwin's music, and it's Levant we hear in the piano solos for Rhapsody in Blue and the Concerto in F.

For a scene reenacting the historic premiere of Rhapsody in Blue at Aeolian Hall, the conductor is bandleader Paul Whiteman, who conducted the real premiere. In a scene in a Turkish bath, we find the real George White, producer of the famous series of Broadway revues for whom Gershwin wrote many of his early hits. And making a guest appearance is no less a star than Al Jolson, whose original rendition of "Swanee" made Gershwin famous.

Among the film's other musical high points are a rare staging of Gershwin's early mini-opera, Blue Monday, which got only one performance on Broadway. There'slovable song-and-dance man Tom Patricola, who isn't even credited, singing and dancing "Somebody Loves Me," the Gershwin song he actually introduced onstage. And most remarkable, Anne Brown — the original Bess in Porgy and Bess -- sings the most famous song from that opera, "Summertime."

But Hollywood can't help messing with facts. Gershwin's brother Ira, who wrote the lyrics to most of George's songs, is a major character in the film, but their two other siblings are completely expunged. In the movie, George discovers that Ira can write lyrics years after the real Ira started writing them.

Gershwin was something of a playboy who never married. His most serious romance seems to have been with songwriter Kay Swift, for whom he named one of his biggest hit shows, Oh, Kay!

But with astonishing chutzpah, the film concocts for him two completely fictional lovers — an imaginary Broadway star named Julie Adams, played by goody-goody Joan Leslie, and a cool society beauty played by Alexis Smith. One gratuitously false bit of dialogue comes when Gershwin meets Oscar Levant in Max Dreyfus' office.

"I'm George Gershwin," he says. "That's my real name."

But George was actually born Jacob Gershvin. In this movie, real history, in the form of the people who actually knew George Gershwin and performed his music, makes a bigger and truer impression than the Hollywood fabrications.

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Transcript

DAVE DAVIES, HOST:

"Rhapsody in Blue," the 1945 film version of the life of George Gershwin, has just been released for the first time on DVD. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz says it's a fascinating mixture of real facts, pure invention, and memorable musical moments.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC, "RHAPSODY IN BLUE")

LLOYD SCHWARTZ, BYLINE: The movie "Rhapsody in Blue," a biography of George Gershwin, was released only eight years after his premature death from a brain tumor at the age of 38. It's a good subject. Gershwin wrote some of the best popular songs ever produced in this country, but he also had ambitions to be a serious classical composer and wrote symphonic music, concertos and an opera, all of which are still performed.

Gershwin is played by Robert Alda, the matinee idol father of "M.A.S.H."'s Alan Alda, who went on to star in the original Broadway production of "Guys and Dolls." He captures both the well-documented charm and the driven quality of the brilliant young composer.

Other sympathetic performances include avuncular Charles Coburn as Max Dreyfus, Gershwin's supportive music publisher, and theater legend Morris Carnovsky as Gershwin's father. Carnovsky's Hollywood career would soon come to an end when he was blacklisted, but he remained a respected stage actor.

Injecting an uncanny reality into the film are a number of figures from Gershwin's circle actually playing themselves, like Gershwin's real-life friend, pianist and caustic comedian Oscar Levant, who gives the film its biggest jolt of satiric energy.

(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "RHAPSODY IN BLUE")

ROBERT ALDA: (as George Gershwin) I see you've learned to play with both hands.

OSCAR LEVANT: (as Himself) I took the liberty of recording our rhapsody.

ALDA: (as George Gershwin) Yeah, I heard it. And I still like my recording.

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

LEVANT: (as Himself) Tell me something, George. Good evening, Mrs. Gilbert. My name's Levant. Tell me something. If you had it to do all over again, would you still fall in love with yourself?

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

SCHWARTZ: Levant was famous for playing Gershwin's music, and it's Levant we hear in the piano solos for "Rhapsody in Blue" and the "Concerto in F." For the scene reenacting the historic premiere of "Rhapsody in Blue" at Aeolian Hall, the conductor is bandleader Paul Whiteman, who conducted the real premiere.

In a scene in a Turkish bath, we find the real George White, the producer of the famous series of Broadway revues called "George White's Scandals," for whom Gershwin wrote many of his early hits. And making a guest appearance is no less a star than Al Jolson. It was his original rendition of "Swanee" that made Gershwin famous.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SWANEE")

AL JOLSON: (Singing) I've been away from you a long time. I never thought I'd miss you so. Somehow I feel you love is real. Near you I want to be. The birds are singing it is songtime. The banjo's strumming soft and low. I know that you yearn for me too. Swanee you're calling me.

(Singing) Swanee, how I love you, how I love you. My dear ol' Swanee. I'd give the world to be among the folks in D-I-X-I-E. Even though my mammy's waiting...

SCHWARTZ: Among the film's other musical high points are a rare staging of Gershwin's early mini-opera "Blue Monday," which got only one performance before it was cut from the "Scandals of 1922." There's lovable song-and-dance man, Tom Patricola, who isn't even credited, singing and dancing "Somebody Loves Me," the Gershwin song he actually introduced on Broadway. And most remarkable, Anne Brown - the original Bess in "Porgy and Bess" - sings the most famous song from that opera, "Summertime."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SUMMERTIME")

ANNE BROWN: (as Bess) (Singing) One of these mornings, you're going to rise up singing. Then you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky. But until that morning there's a'nothing can harm you with daddy and mammy standing by.

SCHWARTZ: But Hollywood can't help messing with facts. Gershwin's brother Ira, who wrote the lyrics to most of George's songs, is a major character in the film, but their two other siblings are completely expunged. In the movie, George discovers that Ira can write lyrics years after the real Ira started writing them. Gershwin was something of a playboy who never married. His most serious romance seems to have been with songwriter Kay Swift, for whom he named one of his biggest hit shows, "Oh, Kay!"

But with astonishing chutzpah, the film concocts for him two completely fictional lovers - including an imaginary Broadway star named Julie Adams, played by goody-goody Joan Leslie, and a cool society beauty played by Alexis Smith. In this movie, real history in the form of the people who actually knew George Gershwin and performed his music, makes a bigger and truer impression than the Hollywood fabrications.

DAVIES: Lloyd Schwartz is classical musical editor of the Boston Phoenix and teaches in the creative writing MFA program at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He reviewed "Rhapsody in Blue," the 1945 Hollywood biography of George Gershwin, which Warner has just released on DVD. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.